Oppn for impartial probe in Orissa sex row

Oppn leader JB Patnaik seeks impartial probe into the charges levelled by a lady marshal either by a sitting High Court Judge or by the CBI.

In the wake of Orissa assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty's resignation over sexual abuse scandal, leader of Opposition J B Patnaik today demanded impartial probe into the charges levelled by a lady marshal either by a sitting High Court Judge or by the CBI.

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"We had made two demands - resignation of Mohanty and impartial probe into the matter by a sitting High Court judge or the CBI", the senior Congress leader said.

With the resignation of Mohanty, against whom charges of sexual abuse had been levelled by a lady assembly employee, Gayatri Panda, one of the demands made by the Opposition has been fulfilled, Patnaik said.

Now the government should order a probe into the matter by a sitting judge of the High Court or the CBI, he said.
On Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's decision to remove Information and Public Relations Minister Debasis Nayak, he said, "more heads should roll."

While denying the charges of sexual harassment, Mohanty had said that the allegation levelled against him was part of a conspiracy in which influential politicians were involved.